Because I am a Girl

By Njoki Karuoya

Last Thursday, Plan International — Kenya launched its ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign at a Nairobi hotel and the theme of this initiative made me stop and appreciate my gender.

The guest of honour was Lady Justice Njoki Ndungu, who did tremendous work during her five-year term as a nominated MP — drawing the Sexual Offences Bill and amassing support for it until it became an Act; and for ensuring new mothers got three months off to take care of their newborns and fathers some time off too watch over both mother and child.

Supreme Law

       When she was done with Parliament, Njoki then helped panel-beat our new Constitution and, ultimately, give this country the Supreme Law that ensures, among other things, that a lot more rights have been accorded to women and girls.

I love being a girl because I believe God created me this way for a specific purpose, which is to contribute to the fight to emancipate and empower the ‘fairer’ and ‘weaker’ sex. I hope you note the quotes on both words.

You see, a lot of people tend to consider women as weak because they rarely express their feelings — and that’s because they have been well trained to keep their mouths shut, especially when their needs echo those of men.

Suppression

For instance, for a long time, communities considered the right to education as belonging only to boys and men, because they were the de facto leaders and hence they needed to acquire more knowledge and skills to improve their leadership skills. Thus, when a girl expressed the desire to go to school, she was shushed and her mother beaten for not teaching her daughter on her rightful place — which was not to think outside the kitchen and the homestead.

Today, this scenario has changed in many societies because of the spirit of a few women, the rebels who fought this cultural belief and practice and forced the hands of the male leaders to accept girls into schools.

There are numerous other examples of the suppression of the female gender through socialisation, which is usually very effective. Even today, the way girls and women behave (as do boys and men) is from the way we are taught to behave, or the way we see our men and women behave in society.

Explore individuality

But the truth is; women and girls are very strong, especially in spirit. We have the strength to endure suffering, injustice and pain. And it is this pain that makes us the glue in families. Women can multi-task and bear all the burdens thrown their way — men can’t; and I’m not hating, just stating the facts.

I’m one of those rebels that believe that girls, like boys, should be allowed to express themselves and be allowed to explore their individuality, with no restraint just because of what lies below their waist. In my book, it is the brain and one’s spirit or soul that matters. In the same way that boys and men demand respect, so should women and girls be respected and given their God-given dues.

Let me count the ways I love being a girl, but this time using the words of a man born 44 years ago in Kingston, Jamaica and given the names Orville Richard Burrell, although the world knows him better as Shaggy. His all time hit, “Strength of a Woman”, was released in 2002 with the album Lucky Day and it basically summaries why I love being a girl. Here are the song’s highlights:

“This one goes out to all my women you know My strong women: